New methods to identify brain areas involved in epilepsy
Official title: Novel diagnostic stimulation to quantify cortical excitability and guide epilepsy therapy
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-10889026 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for ways to better diagnose and treat focal epilepsy by using special electrical stimulation techniques to pinpoint the exact areas in the brain that trigger seizures, helping to create more effective treatments just for you.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $391,395 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS129622-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10889026 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with focal epilepsy who experience seizures that are difficult to control with standard treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with generalized epilepsy or those who do not have focal seizure activity may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving the diagnosis and treatment of focal epilepsy by developing innovative stimulation techniques to measure brain excitability. By using multiple pulses of electrical stimulation and advanced waveforms, the study aims to create precise biomarkers that can identify the specific brain regions responsible for initiating seizures. Patients will undergo assessments that involve these stimulation techniques, which will help map the brain's network connections related to epilepsy. The goal is to enhance the understanding of individual seizure networks and improve targeted therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate identification of seizure onset zones, ultimately improving treatment options for patients with epilepsy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using stimulation techniques to map brain activity, suggesting that this approach could yield significant advancements in epilepsy treatment.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lundstrom, Brian Nils — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Lundstrom, Brian Nils
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
-
Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
-
Epilepsy Data Ecosystem: A Big-Data Sharing Platform for Better Care
A national effort to collect and share large, multi‑modal brain data from people with medication‑resistant epilepsy to speed discoveries and improve treatment options.
-
Exploring epilepsy genes in zebrafish to understand human brain seizures
A study in zebrafish will model human epilepsy genes to help explain how certain brain mutations contribute to seizures.
-
New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
-
Sahel Epilepsy Study: finding patterns in epilepsy in rural Africa and its links to genes
A plan to study epilepsy in rural Nigeria to discover how common it is, what factors affect risk, and how genetics may influence it, with results that could improve care for people with epilepsy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.